White Horse Chestnut Pollen Color, Bloom Season and Bee Forage

Visual guideWhite Horse Chestnut pollen

Photo: Otto Wilhelm Thomé · Public domain

Plant Facts

SeasonSpring

USDA Zone4 - 7

Plant TypeTree

ForagePollen and nectar

Pollen ValueMedium

Nectar ValueMedium

Color FamilyRed and rust

Scientific NameAesculus hippocastanum

Common NamesHorse-chestnut, Common horse-chestnut, White horse chestnut

Reviewed2026-10-11

Quick Answer

White Horse Chestnut pollen is shown in this guide as a red and rust tone. It is listed as tree, associated with spring bloom timing, USDA zone 4 - 7, and pollen and nectar forage value.

Pollen Color Notes

The visual color shown for White Horse Chestnut is grouped broadly with red and rust pollen tones. It is intended for comparison and identification support, not as a laboratory measurement.

Pollen color is highly variable. Lighting, pollen age, moisture, collection method, cultivar, and local growing conditions can all change how pollen appears. Use this as general visual guidance, not a scientific color standard or guaranteed field match.

Bloom, Zone, and Forage Context

White Horse Chestnut is listed for spring. The record lists USDA zone 4 - 7; hardiness zones are planning context, not a precise flowering calendar. Approximate bloom months in the supplemental notes: April, May, June.

Its forage type is pollen and nectar, with pollen value marked as medium and nectar value marked as medium. Spring flower panicles provide pollen and nectar; seeds and other tissues are toxic if eaten.

Identification Notes

A large deciduous tree with palmately compound leaves and upright candles of white flowers marked yellow then red.

Flower color note: White with yellow to red markings. Flower color and pollen color may differ.

Related by Similar Color

Lupin - Red and rust Red & White Clover - Orange and amber Red Dead Nettle - Red and rust Joe Pye Weed - Red and rust Red Horse Chestnut - Red and rust Gooseberry - Orange and amber

Related by Season

Apple - Spring Ash - Spring Asparagus - Spring Bell Heath - Spring Berberis - Spring Birch - Spring

Related by Plant Type

Alder - Tree Almond - Tree American Basswood - Tree American Persimmon - Tree Apple - Tree Ash - Tree

Related by USDA Zone

Adam's Needle - Zone 4 - 10 Alder - Zone 2 - 7 Allium - Zone 3 - 9 Almond - Zone 4 - 8 Alsike Clover - Zone 3 - 8 American Basswood - Zone 3 - 8

Related by Bee Forage

Adam's Needle - Pollen and nectar Alfalfa - Pollen and nectar Allium - Pollen and nectar Almond - Pollen and nectar Alsike Clover - Pollen and nectar American Basswood - Pollen and nectar

Sources

USDA PLANTS Database
United States Department of Agriculture / reviewed 2026-07-12
scientific name, common name, distribution context, plant classification NC State Extension Gardener Plant Toolbox
North Carolina State University Extension / reviewed 2026-07-12
plant identification, flower description, landscape and growing context Missouri Botanical Garden Plant Finder
Missouri Botanical Garden / reviewed 2026-07-12
plant identification, flowering context, garden plant descriptions Wikipedia and Wikimedia Commons
Wikimedia Foundation contributors / reviewed 2026-07-12
plant image, image credit link